Hagel: Congress Kept in Dark on Swap Because Bergdahl's Life in Danger

byF. Brinley Bruton

Private First Class(Pfc) Bowe Bergdahl, before his capture by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Bergdahl went missing from his post in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. He was the only US service member known to be held captive there. Bergdahl was freed May 31, 2014 in exchange for five Taliban inmates held at the Guantanamo prison in a dramatic deal brokered by Qatar.U.S. Army via AFP - Getty Images file

Congress was not told earlier about the operation to free Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five Taliban detainees because officials believed the soldier's life was in danger, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday.

Intelligence gathered suggested that Bergdahl's "health was deteriorating," he told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday in an interview from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan.

"This was essentially an operation to save the life of Sgt. Bergdahl," Hagel added.

Bergdahl, 28, was turned over by the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan to U.S. Special Forces Saturday evening in exchange for five prisoners described by the Taliban as “leaders” who were held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center.

Hagel said the special operations forces conducting the mission took every precaution, using intelligence gathering, surveillance, well-positioned security assets and a lot of helicopters to ensure that things did not go wrong.

White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice said President Obama exercised his constitutional authority in green-lighting the swap — and it should not have been a shock to Congress.

"They were well aware that this idea and this prospect was one that the administration was seriously considering," Rice said on ABC's "This Week."

Hagel also said that his time in Vietnam and the fact that he knew people like Sen. John McCain of Arizona who was a prisoner of war, gives him a personal connection to such an exchange.

Nevertheless, McCain himself said there were important questions regarding the release in exchange for five Taliban militants.

“These particular individuals are hardened terrorists who have the blood of Americans and countless Afghans on their hands,” Sen. John McCain said in a statement, while acknowledging the joy Bergdahl’s family was surely feeling.

“I am eager to learn what precise steps are being taken to ensure that these vicious and violent Taliban extremists never return to the fight against the United States and our partners or engage in any activities that can threaten the prospects for peace and security in Afghanistan,” added McCain.